| | Joined: May 2013 Posts: 1 Member | OP  Member
Joined: May 2013 Posts: 1 | I am new here (just joined) and I have no idea where to go to ask this. I went to have a filling last week because an old one fell out and while the hygenist was cleaning my teeth, she stopped and said that in 22 years she had never seen a place as bad as the one in my mouth. She called the dentist in and they scheduled me for a 'brush biopsy'. It is scheduled for tomorrow, May 15, 2013. I have used smokeless tobacco for 20 years and I rarely go to the dentist. My last visit was about 3 or 4 years ago. I am stopping my use of smokeless tobacco. I have, in less than a week, went from 2 plus cans a day, to a can every two days. My goal is to be free of it by the end of the month. I know this is entirely MY fault and I may be getting what I deserve, but I am still VERY scared!!! Is the odds good that this is cancer? (The entire right side of my jaw is white and skin falls off when I either brush my teeth, or rinse. Also, along the bottom of my jaw i have a dark red sore that goes from the front of my mouth to the back of my mouth. Do you think that it is cancer, or could it not be? I am truly sorry for posting this in the wrong place and for posting my problem on here. I understand that so many of you have cancer and didn't do anything to deserve it. I KNOW that I did and I accept my stupidity. I do not mean to waste anyone's time. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Two things you need to ASAP:
1. Stop altogether the use of any tobacco products immediately!!! Throw your can(s) away and never use tobacco again as long as you live. PERIOD, and
2. Calm down. Worrying will not change what it is or is not.
No one here can tell you if it's cancer or not, only a biopsy can do that and let's hope it's not.
Welcome to this site. I moved your intro post to it's own thread but let's hope you don't have to stay here very long.
Please let us know what this biopsy shows.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | First, nobody deserves cancer regardless of lifestyle choices. Second, do not feel like you are wasting anyone's time. Hopefully it is nothing but more importantly, until they can prove it, it ain't cancer. Take this time to just enjoy life since you will know soon anyway. Sorry you are having to endure such anxiety. Many of us never had that until it was almost too late. Hoping for some good news for you.
Ed
SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 6 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 6 | Do yourself a huge favor and stop with feeling guilty! I hope you do not have anything seriously wrong. Let this be your wake up call and throw away any tobacco products you currently use. All of them! Quitting now will greatly reduce the chance of you having serious health problems down the road.
I am a former smoker and I know what I have done to myself. One day the light bulb went on as I went for my feeding tube consultation. I was appalled at my situation and being a single mother I was disgusted with myself for putting my children's futures in jeopardy over my nasty little habit. It was right then and there I took that pack of smokes and crumpled them up and threw them out the window, never to smoke again. If I can do it so can you!
Please dont be a stranger, the forum will help you with managing the stress of waiting for the results. Make sure you stop back and let us know how you make out.
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 6 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 6 | Do yourself a huge favor and stop with feeling guilty! Everyone does things that they regret in life. I hope you do not have anything seriously wrong. Let this be your wake up call and throw away any tobacco products you currently use. All of them! Quitting now will greatly reduce the chance of you having serious health problems down the road.
I am a former smoker and I know what I have done to myself. One day the light bulb went on as I went for my feeding tube consultation. I was appalled at my situation and being a single mother I was disgusted with myself for putting my children's futures in jeopardy over my nasty little habit. It was right then and there I took that pack of smokes and crumpled them up and threw them out the window, never to smoke again. If I can do it so can you!
Please dont be a stranger, the forum will help you with managing the stress of waiting for the results. Make sure you stop back and let us know how you make out.
Good luck!!!
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive | | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 | Hi there - definitely quit the tobacco now - also let them do a biopsy but I would also contact your family dr and ask for a referral to an ENT who is very familiar with real cancer - this is who you will have to see if it does come back as cancerous. This way you are ahead of the game as sometimes appointments take a while to get - best of luck and hope its nothing. Try not to beat or self up. Consider it a lesson learned and stop now...
Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
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